City Guide: Oslo

Oslo is a city that is set apart from other European destinations.

For striking museums tourists flock to London, for arts they go to Louvre in Paris, but when it comes to natural beauty, there is no city rivaling Oslo. This makes Oslo a far cry from your usual tourist location, but a gateway to Scandinavia's most scenic country.

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City Guide: Oslo

Oslo is a city that is set apart from other European destinations.

For striking museums tourists flock to London, for arts they go to Louvre in Paris, but when it comes to natural beauty, there is no city rivaling Oslo. This makes Oslo a far cry from your usual tourist location, but a gateway to Scandinavia's most scenic country.

You can see all the beautiful landscapes that Oslo offers if you rely on Booked.net to complete your hotel booking. From cheap hotels in Oslo to luxury offers all available with maps, photos and secure forms at Booked.net.

You can find Oslo at the far end of Oslofjord Bay in a green surrounding of lakes, mountains and green hills. Just imagine that Oslo has 343 lakes with the largest named Maridalsvannet that covers an area of 1.51sqmi.

Even though Oslo occupies 453sqkm of total land most of it is covered with forests. This resulted in a population much smaller than other European cities and this again sets Oslo apart. Oslo barely numbers 152,000 inhabitants living in one of the largest capitals in the world by area.

In addition, a half of the city's population was wiped out by plague in 1348 and after a fire burned Oslo to the ground. Thanks to King Christian IV, royal builder it was redesigned and gradually grew to prominence of the largest and most culturally significant city in Norway.

Today Oslo will entice you with more than natural scenery, but parks, museums, churches and so on. For instance, you can take a stroll along Karl Johans Gate right to the Royal Palace and famous Edvard Munch Museum and find more arts of great Norwegian painters at the National Gallery. Other attractions include;

- Oslo Cathedral dominates the downtown skyline

-City Hall - Radhusetfeatures typical Nordic socialist themes

- Akershus Festning, a medieval castle built in 1299 in the city center

- Nobel Peace Centreoffers exhibitions for every winner of the Nobel Peace Prize

- The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, an open air museum with buildings from various periods in Norwegian history

But Oslo is not only for culture, but it is also influential economical hub that thrives on shipping with more than 980 shipping companies located in Oslo. This business has made Oslo one of the most expensive cities in the world by the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey provided by Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

To save some money, consider advance booking of a hotel in Oslo at Booked.net.

The Grand Hotel in conveniently located in the Norwegian capital on the city’s biggest street, the famous Karl Johans Gate, close to the Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo Parliament and the Akershus Castle. This beautiful historical building was founded in 1874 by pastry chef Julius Fritzner. More details

The cozy 4-star Clarion Collection Hotel Christiania Teater offers currency exchange, a safe deposit box as well as room service, concierge service and tour assistance. This contemporary building was refurbished in 2011. More details

The sophisticated 4-star Best Western Kampen Apartment Hotel offers modern accommodation in a vibrant area of Oslo. The hotel’s central location offers quick access to Sognefjorden, Arctic Circle and Grunerlokka as well as museums, a fortress. More details

The five-star property is beautifully situated by Akershus Castle in the historical and most urban part of the Norwegian capital and is close to the Museum For Contemporary Art and Storting. Renovated in 2008, the property perfectly combines unique Scandinavian design with the latest technology. More details

The comfortable 4-star Radisson Blu Hotel, Oslo Alna is set in a commercial area minutes away from Trollstigen, Botanical Gardens and Natural History Museum. It was opened in 2014 and is an example of contemporary architecture in Oslo. More details

The Thon Hotel Bristol is located in the center of Oslo within 250ms from City Hall and Royal Palace. This elegant five-star hotel was opened in 1920 and combines modern facilities with traditional hospitality. More details

Comfort Hotel Xpress Central Station is a 3-star modern hotel offering soundproof accommodation steps away from Botanical Gardens, National Library and Munch Museum. Located in a shopping area close to Jernbanetorget subway station as well as an opera house, museums in Oslo. More details

The unique Quality Hotel Expo is a decent example of a 4-star hotel in Oslo. Situated in the center of Oslo with quick access to Fram Polar Ship Museum, Viking Ship Museum and Norwegian Folk Museum. More details

The Hotel Bondeheimen is located in the heart of Oslo, just a few away steps from the Parliament Building, in a tangle of vibrant streets, restaurants and souvenir shops. It is an excellent location to start exploring the city: walking distance to shopping streets, churches, museums and monuments. More details

This four-star hotel is the largest hotel in Norway, located in the city center and is modern and fashionable, possessing a special atmosphere. It has 676 stylish and comfortable guest rooms with beautiful city views, located on 37 floors. More details

The comfortable Oslo Hotel Apartments is a 3-star property set next to Sognefjorden, Tusenfryd and Eldorado Kino. Located in a historic area close to Tøyen subway station as well as churches, museums and an opera house in Oslo. More details

Quality Hotel Olavsgaard is a 3-star historical property that offers comfortable accommodation steps away from Hopp i Havet, Oslo Ski Center and The Bergen Railway. The building was renovated in 1998. More details

Park Inn By Radisson is located in a shopping area of Oslo in close proximity to Natural History Museum, Akerselva River and Huk Paradisbukta Beach. Since 2010, it has been a prominent hotel in the heart of Oslo. More details

This four-star hotel is conveniently situated in the old town, close to the central train station and a lot of local sights. This is non-smoking property with 99 individually decorated rooms. More details

Being one of the best hotels of a well-known for its high standards Thon chain, this hotel is very well thought out and boasts a fantastic location in the city center - next to new opera and pedestrian zone and in the immediate vicinity to the to the airport train station. More details

The stylish 3-star Comfort Xpress provides quick access to schools, museums and galleries nearby. The vicinity of the central station let you explore Hopp i Havet, Medieval Ruin Park and Vigeland Park with no difficulty. More details

Radisson Blu Park Hotel Oslo is a 4-star quiet property that offers large accommodation steps away from Bygdoy Peninsula, The Holocaust Center and Fram Polar Ship Museum. The building was renovated in 1996. More details